The Palestinian Central Elections Commission officially announced on Monday that approximately 2.97 million Palestinians across the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip hold the right to vote in the upcoming legislative elections. The voting is scheduled to take place on November 28.
In a detailed demographic breakdown released alongside the announcement, the Commission specified the distribution of these voters. The figure includes 1.24 million registered voters in the Gaza Strip and 1.59 million in the West Bank. Additionally, 140,000 residents holding Jerusalem IDs are included in the total count. These numbers strictly adhere to legal eligibility criteria, encompassing only those who will have reached the age of 18 by the day of the election.
A significant portion of this electorate is young. Data from the Commission indicates that 1.57 million voters are under the age of 38, representing roughly 53% of all eligible voters. This demographic shift comes as the region approaches its first legislative elections in nearly two decades. Regarding gender distribution, the electorate is nearly evenly split, with women comprising 49.9% of the voters and men making up the remaining 50.1%.
Further analysis by age groups reveals that 17.5% of voters fall within the 18-to-24-year-old bracket. The largest single cohort consists of individuals aged 25 to 35, accounting for 30.6% of the total. Those aged 36 to 45 represent 20.8%, while the 46-to-55 age group makes up 14.3%. Voters older than 55 years constitute 16.8% of the eligible population.
The Commission also highlighted provisions for accessibility. In the West Bank alone, there are approximately 51,000 voters with disabilities, which amounts to 3.2% of the regional electorate. Specific data regarding voters with disabilities in the Gaza Strip was not provided. The Commission affirmed that it will implement necessary arrangements to facilitate participation for persons with disabilities, including adapting polling stations and centers to meet their specific needs.
According to the established timeline for the electoral process, the legislative elections will be held on Saturday, November 28, 2026. The candidacy registration phase is set to begin on the morning of September 26 and will conclude on the evening of October 7.
